Kingdom of Heaven (4K Blu-ray Steelbook Review)
When Kingdom of Heaven was released in 2005, some critics and audiences walked out of the theater feeling underwhelmed. Sure, the visuals were impressive, and the premise had potential, but the film as a whole felt rushed and emotionally flat. At the time, I personally chalked it up as an ambitious misfire from Ridley Scott—grand in scale, but hollow at its core. That assessment changed completely when I finally watched the director’s cut, now newly presented in a stunning 4K restoration. I wasn’t just watching a longer version of the same film—I was watching the film as it was meant to be seen. It’s hard to overstate the difference. This is no mere extended edition; it’s a resurrection. And what emerges is nothing short of a modern epic.
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When A Knight’s Tale premiered nearly 25 years ago, it was a crowd pleaser and a critic puzzler. Filled with musical anachronisms, rollicking jousting and a sweet rom com for the women in the audience, A Knight’s Tale ended up being something of a box office success and a cult favorite. After spending years languishing on a nearly 20-year-old Blu-ray, with the aged wrinkles of the earlier years of the format to prove it, Sony has been gracious enough to give fans a brand-new edition of A Knight’s Tale, this time in 4K. We get not only the theatrical but also the extended cut in 4K! So, put on your armor and get your javelin ready for the joust, because the Golden Years are still ahead!
Americans sort of missed the boat on Robbie Williams. He dropped in on us via MTV, most likely TRL, with the minor hit Millenium in 1999. The video was in heavy rotation, however the song didn’t make the impact it was meant to. The compilation album The Ego Has Landed was fashioned as Williams’ American debut, and it too fizzled. We just weren’t ready for that ego I guess. We also never seemed to realize that Williams was an established international star before that song dropped on us. Pre-internet boom, this was entirely possible. When I first saw a trailer for Better Man in theaters well over a year ago, my husband leaned over and said “who?” before immediately following up with “and why is he a monkey?” The question remains, was America still not ready for Robbie Williams?
Film fanatics have long been enjoying the feasts of Bong Joon Ho’s labors. His films are visually striking, and his screenwriting is bitingly satirical and socially conscious. The challenging filmmaking goes noticed in all the best ways and those who see his films eat those ideas up! Mickey 17 sat waiting for release delayed for a while and when the film finally was released, unfortunately it failed to reach the audience it might have been able to generate with more promotion or stronger word of mouth. Now, Mickey and his 17…or is it…18??… are available to own on disc… Will you be wanting to bring him home?
Dune is perhaps one of the more tricky properties ever to be chosen for filming ever. The 1984 film by David Lynch was a litmus test for what could be in 80’s. It’s a spectacular failure that never really lives up to the incredible filmmaker’s imagination. Other filmmakers tried in between, including one television adaptation that may have come close. Then Denis Villeneuve delivered with 2 incredible films that somehow made the saga of Paul Atreides and Arrakis accessible on-screen for the first time ever. Now, we are in a time where people want to see more going on in the “Dune-iverse” so to speak. Dune: Prophecy is the first such spin-off. Premiering on HBO in 2024, the show divided critics but seemed to find an audience with its first season. Now on Blu-ray and 4K, we have it to hold onto!
As the new year dawned, it was time for a new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This could be a cause for commotion for some movie fans and a cause for a yawn for others. If you, like me are suffering from superhero fatigue you could be experiencing a curiosity and a cautionary feeling at the same time. Captain America: Brave New World brought the new phase into motion. For me, it feels like a soft launch. In general, how did the movie land? Did it soar above expectations like our new Falcon Captain America, or land with a thud?
The 80’s signified a death nell for the Western genre. People didn’t want to go and see action scenes of gunslingers and horseback chases. Nobody cared about the hard times of post-Civil War America and that historical time. As much a shame as it was, it happened. Now, in 2025, we have a luxury of revisiting some of those films we may have forgotten about. 
When Clint Eastwood ventured into directing, he did so with a splash with Play Misty For Me in 1971. Following that thriller, Eastwood took turns in the director’s chair making small films like Breezy before his first western High Plains Drifter. When The Outlaw Josey Wales debuted in 1976, the film became a catapult into the stratosphere, reinvigorating the western genre and naming Clint Eastwood as a directing and acting force. Making his mark in both arenas as a filmmaker and acting auteur, Eastwood struck a chord with audiences enhancing his famous “Man with No Name” character by not only naming him, but adding some major depth to his character, even in deep shadows.
25 years ago, I was 13 years old and getting into my cinema exploration. I’d loved movies forever of course. Now, though, was my time to really get into my own types of films. I found myself really drawn to thrillers and mysteries. Things that challenged me always got to the front of my movie queue. When I saw the trailer for What Lies Beneath way back when, I was sold based on the star power of Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, and the creepy way the trailer toyed with my senses. Now, after what feels like a lifetime, What Lies Beneath lands on 4K UHD Blu-ray, and I’ve had quite an education on thrillers. So, how does the film stand up today? And how does Robert Zemeckis’ creep-fest look and sound in a new format?
This spring is the spring of the Clint Eastwood 4K disc! Debuting April 29th is not one but three classic Eastwood films. I’m excited to share with you my reviews of them all, but not as excited as I am first and foremost to write about Dirty Harry. A film loosely based on the infamous Zodiac killer that terrorized the Bay Area in the 60’s, Eastwood’s Harry Callahan was someone who either made you cheer or repulsed you. For me, he was a bad man in the best of ways. Now, 54 years removed from this first outing, a 4K disc is finally arriving. Here, I’ll dive into my thoughts on the legendary character and film and of course go over how the new transfer and Atmos mix are too!
Does anyone else ever feel like the time has been more fleeting than ever lately? It feels like just yesterday I was running into Walmart to purchase a copy of Lilo & Stitch on DVD for my mother. Then I get out of my own delusional head and realize that was way back in 2002. Now, here in real life, it’s 2025 and Lilo & Stitchis making its way back into cinemas for a live-action revival. Disney has been riding the wave, so to speak, and decided to re-release the original animated feature on 4K UHD Blu-ray, just in time for the new film’s theatrical release! So how does that gorgeous hand-drawn animation hold up in 4K you ask? Find out more and always remember: “Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind…”
The beauty of Westerns is that you always know what you’re going to get. There’s just something about them. Gunslingers, horses, dusty towns that are usually about one street deep. It’s a simple setup but one that usually sets up for some seriously good cinema. When Tombstone was initially released in 1993, Disney had no idea how to market the film. For some reason, even though Unforgiven had just wowed audiences and won Oscars, Tombstone was very quietly released. Critics couldn’t get advanced screenings, and it was a mess. Thankfully, word of mouth prevailed, and those critics went and saw the film itself. Now, the masterpiece we know is an icon in the genre. We’ve been waiting a long time for Tombstone to arrive on the 4K format. Now we’ve got a handsome Steelbook! Was it worth the wait? Read more on that, plus more about the film and a little something about Mr. Val Kilmer too… Forever our Huckleberry.
2025 already feels like a revival of the exploitation film. We’ve seen one with a superhero and one about a crazy pilot. Now we have one about a former assassin trying to do good. Love Hurts debuted just in time for Valentine’s Day this year and was poised to continue Ke Huy Quan’s comeback after his historic Oscar win. When the film failed to recoup its budget and went quickly to PVOD, it was fast tracked to physical media. So now, making its way to 4K and Blu-ray, how painful is Love Hurts? 
